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We've finally been getting a ton or work done around our small Texas ranch. We had redone the skirting/foundation around the bottom of the house in March, but had never gotten it done around the deck to completely close off the underneath of the house so we wouldn't get any more critters under the house. (Especially skunks, which always seem to choose the middle of the night to spray under my bedroom and wake me up.) We restacked the rocks around the deck and then I finally got to replant my flower beds. I had some Rosemary that was supposed to be prostrate rosemary and sage there before, but nobody had told them they were supposed to stay fairly small and it had become a jungle. I transplanted it all, but alas, the Rosemary didn't survive. I suppose after being in the same spot for about 15 years, they had a right to be a little upset. I will now have to get some more Rosemary and plant out by the yard gate into the pasture, because I love my Rosemary. I chose to replant with some Drift Roses that I know will stay fairly small, some Guara for the butterflies and hummingbirds and some daylilies. I had found 3 at my local nurseries that weren't just your run of the mill daylilies like everyone else has, but couldn't find anything else, so I turned to E-Bay. I found 3 fantastic ones that hopefully will be gorgeous when they bloom next year. I had only wanted one more, but couldn't resist the other 2. I got everything planted, found a large clay saucer for the top of the cactus bird bath (the original bird bath saucer had gotten broke), composted everything with some great compost from Bell County Regional Compost Facility and some mulch. This is my newly replanted flower bed. I wanted to make sure it didn't get too full and I didn't want to cover up all the great rock we put around the bottom of the deck. It was a lot of work, but I'm really happy with it and can't wait to see it as it matures and all my daylilies start blooming next year. The roses are already settling in and blooming. Enjoy the pics. This was before.
And this is after.
I'll try to post more pictures as it matures. I love the way it turned out. I make Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass kreationz for your Home and Garden, so if you're looking for that unique piece for your garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.
A few weeks ago, I posted 2 different posts with some interesting facts about hummingbirds. I put up 2 of my feeders and have been rewarded with hummingbirds all around trying to get to the nectar, not only at my feeders, but also at all my plants that are blooming right now. As part of our Wildlife management, we have to plant things that will attract butterflies, small songbirds, game birds, other birds, etc. We've had some success with it. We now have turkeys hanging around all the time in the back pasture by our water trough, birds everywhere by the water trough and the birdbaths. A multitude of other birds by the plants, grasses, water, etc. We even have some resident buzzards that love hanging around for some reason. Anyway, as promised, here's a couple of pictures I got of one of the hummingbirds at one of my feeders, along with a picture of one of the turkeys, and one of our buzzards. I hope you enjoy them. And for some great Mosaic Stained Glass feeders to feed your birds, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz. I'm also working on getting some Glass Kreationz hummingbird feeders made and listed.
Last week I posted some interesting facts I'd found about Hummingbirds. But the list was quite long, so I broke it up into 2 parts. As promised, here is Part 2 of the Hummingbird facts. I hope you enjoy.
13.At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute.
14.The rufous hummingbird has the longest migration of any hummingbird species with a distance of more than 3,000 miles from the bird’s nesting grounds in Alaska and Canada to its winter habitat in Mexico.
15.The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during both its spring and fall migrations.
16.Depending on the species, habitat conditions, predators and other factors, the average lifespan of a wild hummingbird is 3-12 years.
17.Hummingbirds have no sense of smell but have very keen eyesight.
18.Hummingbirds do not suck nectar through their long bills, they lick it with fringed, forked tongues.
19.A hummingbird can lick 10-15 times per second while feeding.
20.Hummingbirds digest natural sucrose in 20 minutes with 97 percent efficiency for converting the sugar into energy.
21.Many hummingbird species, including Anna’s, black-chinned, Allen’s, Costa’s, rufous, calliope and broad-tailed hummingbirds, can breed together to create hybrid species, one fact that makes identifying hummingbirds very challenging.
22.The peak fall migration period for hummingbirds is from mid-July through August or early September, depending on the route.
23.Despite their small size, hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive bird species and will regularly attack jays, crows and hawks that infringe on their territory.
24.The bill of the aptly named sword-billed hummingbird, found in the Andes Mountains, can reach up to 4 inches long.
25.Hummingbirds are native species of the New World and are not found outside of the Western Hemisphere.
Again, if it's not already listed, keep an eye out for my Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. And here's another cute little Hanging Stained Glass Mosaic Birdfeeder/Birdbath that will be listed shortly in my shop. If you love Texas or Jalapeno Peppers, you'll love this one. Enjoy.
Recently I saw a post with some interesting facts about Hummingbirds. It was from a newsletter I get from About.com And it reminded me that soon the Hummingbirds will be returning to our neck of the woods. I love these little birds. But they can be annoying. LOL I put my hummingbird feeders out every year and attract quite a few to our small Texas ranch. But if I dare let them feeders get empty, boy do they let me know it. They will fly all around me and buzz me until I go back inside, clean them and put out fresh nectar for them! Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy these facts as much as I did:
1.There are more than 325 hummingbird species in the world. Only 8 species regularly breed in the United States, though up to two dozen species may visit the country.
2.A hummingbird’s brilliant throat color is not caused by feather pigmentation, but rather by iridescence in the arrangement of the feathers and the influence of light level, moisture and other factors.
3.Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, though their feet can be used to scoot sideways while they are perched.
4.The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird species in North America and measures just 3 inches long. The bee hummingbird is the smallest species and measures 2.25 inches long.
5.Hummingbirds have 1,000-1,500 feathers, the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world.
6.The average ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 grams. In comparison, a nickel weighs 4.5 grams.
7.From 25-30 percent of a hummingbird’s weight is in its pectoral muscles, the muscles principally responsible for flight.
8.A hummingbird’s maximum forward flight speed is 30 miles per hour, though the birds can reach up to 60 miles per hour in a dive.
9.Hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs of all birds. They measure less than 1/2 inch long but may represent as much as 10 percent of the mother’s weight at the time the eggs are laid.
10.A hummingbird must consume approximately 1/2 of its weight in sugar daily, and the average hummingbird feeds 5-8 times per hour.
11.A hummingbird’s wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second depending on the direction of flight and air conditions.
12.An average hummingbird’s heart rate is more than 1,200 beats per minute.
13.At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute.
This is only half of the facts about Hummingbird's I saw. Stay tuned for part 2 in a week or so. Plus, keep your eye out for my new Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. They are great for your yard or as a gift. In the meantime, check out this cute Hanging Mosaic Birdfeeder that can also be used as a birdbath if you wish.
Next to my glass, gardening is probably my biggest passion. I love to plant things and watch them grow. I even enjoy just going out and standing there with the water hose and watering them. However, my biggest battle with my garden is "GRASSHOPPERS". I'm still trying to find something that will help me win that battle. As I find things, I'll post more about them.But this post if mainly about the plants I just got. I've been wanting to try some heirloom tomatoes for a while. And since we're in San Antonio for a few day, I just went to Antique Rose Emporium and found a couple to try. I got "Cherokee Purple", "Brandywine" and a "Black Cherry" cherry tomato to try. One of the other buyers there assured me if I can win the battle of the grasshoppers, my Cherokee Purple tomato will offer up a huge plant that may cause me problems keeping staked and large, tasty tomatoes.I also got some more Mexican Marigold Mint which can be substituted for Tarragon and has the prettiest little yellow flowers and a great licorice smell, plus some yarrow, poppies, Evergreen Wisteria, Coral Bean Vine, and a Vichenbleu antique Rose. Although I prefer roses that bloom repeatedly or at least a couple of times, this one is gorgeous purple and I just couldn't resist. So I have my work cut out for me when I get home, getting the garden ready to plant and then watching for the last frost to put everything out. Will have to baby them until then.Plus get my birdfeeders recleaned, my hummingbird feeders out, my birdbath cleaned out again, and the birdhouses checked and recleaned if nothing has moved in yet. And I got a butterfly house from Andrews Reclaimed to put up for the "TONS" of butterflies I'm hoping to attract this year. See you soon.
I'm so excited. There was a promotion thread on etsy about treasuries and treasury lists. If you posted your list you would get it on the front page. I posted mine last night and it was on the FRONT page tonight. It was so great. And then, about 1:00 a.m. I got my FIRST TREASURY WEST with that list. It's called "Raindrops on Roses... These are a few of my favorite things". It features things I really like. Here's the picture. So check it out and leave a comment or make someone on the treasury happy and buy something. :) Oh and another great thing, I made my 2nd sale on Etsy! This was a good night for me. Hope you all enjoy my Treasury West (and maybe even my shop) Thanks.
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